I totally get the IKEA comparison—some of those diagrams are wild. I’ve found that snapping a few pics before and after each step helps me catch mistakes early. Did you notice if your inspector focused more on the sill plate bolts or the cripple wall bracing? I always wonder which spots are most overlooked...
Honestly, I think people over-focus on the sill plate bolts and cripple wall bracing just because they're the most obvious. In my experience, inspectors can get tunnel vision there and miss stuff like poor connections at the mudsill or gaps in blocking. Last retrofit I did, the inspector barely glanced at the perimeter—he spent way more time checking for continuous load paths through the interior walls, which surprised me.
Photos are great, but I’d argue nothing beats actually running your hand along the framing and feeling for loose hardware or split wood. You can spot things a camera just won’t catch. Also, I’ve seen folks totally ignore anchor spacing or use the wrong washers—those little details matter way more than they seem. It’s not always about what’s in the diagram... sometimes it’s what got skipped because it wasn’t flashy.
I get where you’re coming from about inspectors focusing too much on the obvious stuff, but I’d push back a bit on the idea that “nothing beats actually running your hand along the framing.” In my experience, tactile checks are useful, but they’re not a substitute for a systematic approach. Sometimes you can miss things just by feel—like hidden corrosion on hardware or subtle misalignments that only show up when you measure.
“It’s not always about what’s in the diagram... sometimes it’s what got skipped because it wasn’t flashy.”
That’s true, but I’d argue the diagrams and specs exist for a reason. Anchor spacing and washer size aren’t just details—they’re engineered to distribute loads properly. I’ve seen retrofits where someone “felt” everything was solid, but missed that the anchor bolts were spaced too far apart, which basically defeated the purpose of the whole upgrade.
I guess my point is, hands-on checks are great, but if you don’t cross-reference with plans and code requirements, you can end up with a false sense of security. The devil’s in the details, and sometimes those details are buried in paperwork, not just in the wood.
You nailed it about anchor spacing—I've seen folks eyeball it and swear it's "close enough," but that doesn't cut it when the ground starts shaking. Specs aren't just red tape, they're there because someone crunched the numbers. Feeling for rot or loose hardware is good, but you gotta check the paperwork too, otherwise you're just guessing. I always tell homeowners: trust your senses, but verify with a tape measure and the plans.
Funny you mention folks just eyeballing it—I once opened up a crawlspace and found anchors spaced like someone was tossing darts. I always tell people: grab the plans, measure twice, and don’t skip the bolts behind insulation. You’d be surprised what gets missed behind finished walls.